Indiana Disability Resource Finder

Usability test and redesign for the Indiana Disability Resource Finder website

MY ROLE

I designed the testing script, conducted one user interview, and compiled data from all interviews

TEAM

Sky Blanton, Michael Dukes, Chen Zhong

TOOLS

Figma, Miro, Whiteboard

TIMELINE

Apr. - May 2023

TEAM

Sky Blanton, Michael Dukes, Chen Zhong

MY ROLE

I designed the testing script, conducted one user interview, and compiled data from all interviews

TOOLS

Figma, Miro, Whiteboard

TIMELINE

Apr. - May 2023

VIEW PROTOTYPE

Overview

The Indiana Disability Resource Finder is an online platform that provides information and resources for individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers in the state of Indiana. The resource finder is designed to help individuals locate and access services, programs, and resources that can assist them in managing their disability and achieving their goals.

FULL REPORT

Our Process

1

Define

Purpose

Methodology

2

Test

Tasks

Results

3

Design

7 Pain Points

7 Solutions

4

Reflect

Conclusion

Next Steps

Lessons Learned

Define

Purpose

By conducting this usability test, our aim is to enhance the Indiana Disability Resource Finder website's usability and user experience, ensuring it effectively meets the needs of its intended users.

Identify navigation and presentation errors

Assess the website's efficiency and overall user interface reception

Establish baseline user performance levels for future usability evaluations

Methodology

WHAT we tested

The Indiana Disability Resource Finder website

WHO we tested

3 participants:

• Male, 35, scientist, 5 (extremely comfortable) with websites, has never used testing website before

• Female, 26, software engineer, 5 (extremely comfortable) with websites and technology, has never participated in usability testing before

• Female, 21, Vet Assistance, 4 (very comfortable) with technology, has had a usability test before

WHERE we tested

Our usability testing was conducted via Zoom

WHEN we tested

User testing occurred from April 22 to April 23, 2023.

HOW we tested

Each test was conducted one-on-one, and generally lasted one hour.

Test

How we designed the test and its results

Tasks

The main questions asked were split up into three scenarios, each having between 3 to 5 tasks. Each scenario’s tasks were based around typical actions that these user groups would perform.

A full list of the tasks can be found in the report.

These tasks included testing the website’s search features, events page, and listings. After each task, participants were asked their overall thoughts after completing the task. They were also asked to give them an ease of use rating, 1 (very hard) to 5 (very easy).

After all tasks were completed, participants were asked to give their thoughts about the website overall, rating the website on a scale from 1 (extremely negative) to 10 (extremely positive). They were also asked to rate the ease of use for the website as a whole, ranging from 1 (very hard) to 5 (very easy).

Personas for the tasks

The tasks were based around these three personas, identified through research into the user base of the website

Scenario 1 - Caregivers of Individuals with Disabilities

Scenario 2 - Individuals with Disabilities

Scenario 3 - Disability Advocates and Organizations

General Feedback

Here are some comments that we received during the tests relating to the website overall, positive and negative, as well as the gathered ease of use ratings for each task.

Average ease of use rating per task

Pain Points & Solutions

Pain Point 1: Filter function in the search page

1

Participants found that the search bars/filters are not connected and do not function well for searching keywords.

1

Participants found that the search bars/filters are not connected and do not function well for searching keywords.

2

They also found the language button included in the filter listing unnecessary and confusing.

2

They also found the language button included in the filter listing unnecessary and confusing.

3

They also reported duplicated filter buttons and are unsure of which to use.

3

They also reported duplicated filter buttons and are unsure of which to use.

Filter function in the searching page.

Recommendations

Provide clear instructions and guidance on how to use the filter function.

Provide clear instructions and guidance on how to use the filter function.

Language button could be placed near the top right corner of screen near the accessibility button and that’s it or at the bottom right of the screen.

Language button could be placed near the top right corner of screen near the accessibility button and that’s it or at the bottom right of the screen.

Simplify the filter function by removing duplicated buttons and unnecessary features such as the language button.

Simplify the filter function by removing duplicated buttons and unnecessary features such as the language button.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 2: Finding and adding saved events

1

Users have reported difficulty finding the button to save events to their calendar or bookmarks.

1

Users have reported difficulty finding the button to save events to their calendar or bookmarks.

2

Users find it confusing that the bookmark button does not indicate if an event has been saved or not.

2

Users find it confusing that the bookmark button does not indicate if an event has been saved or not.

3

Users have difficulty finding saved events on their profile.

3

Users have difficulty finding saved events on their profile.

Bookmark button was difficult to find

Recommendations

Provide clear and prominent buttons for adding events to calendars and bookmarks on event pages.

Provide clear and prominent buttons for adding events to calendars and bookmarks on event pages.

Ensure that the bookmark button clearly indicates if an event has been saved or not.

Ensure that the bookmark button clearly indicates if an event has been saved or not.

Provide clear and intuitive navigation to access saved events on the user profile page.

Provide clear and intuitive navigation to access saved events on the user profile page.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 3: Identifying and using the accessibility tool

1

Users have reported difficulty finding the button to save events to their calendar or bookmarks.

Accessibility icon

Recommendations

Update the accessibility icon to a more universally recognized symbol, such as a wheelchair icon.

Update the accessibility icon to a more universally recognized symbol, such as a wheelchair icon.

Add a word description below the icon to explain its purpose, such as "Accessibility Tools" or "Adjust website settings for better accessibility".

Add a word description below the icon to explain its purpose, such as "Accessibility Tools" or "Adjust website settings for better accessibility".

Consider conducting user testing to ensure that the updated icon and description are clear and easily understandable for users with different types of disabilities.

Consider conducting user testing to ensure that the updated icon and description are clear and easily understandable for users with different types of disabilities.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 4: Finding info about support groups

1

The "Start your journey" button is unclear and provides no context for users, which can be confusing.

1

The "Start your journey" button is unclear and provides no context for users, which can be confusing.

2

The "keyword search" button and "Start your journey" button serve the same purpose and can be combined.

2

The "keyword search" button and "Start your journey" button serve the same purpose and can be combined.

3

There is no clear navigation tab for finding support groups, which can make it difficult for users to locate the information they need.

3

There is no clear navigation tab for finding support groups, which can make it difficult for users to locate the information they need.

Homepage layout and priority call-to-actions/Functions.

Recommendations

Revise the messaging of the "Start your journey" button to provide more context and clearer direction for users. For example, change the text to "Search for activities/events" or something similar.

Revise the messaging of the "Start your journey" button to provide more context and clearer direction for users. For example, change the text to "Search for activities/events" or something similar.

Combine the "Start your journey" button and the keyword search button to reduce redundancy and improve the user experience.

Combine the "Start your journey" button and the keyword search button to reduce redundancy and improve the user experience.

Create a new navigation tab for "Resources" or similar, that provides users with a clear and easy-to-find location for information about support groups and other resources.

Create a new navigation tab for "Resources" or similar, that provides users with a clear and easy-to-find location for information about support groups and other resources.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 5: Filling out listing event information

1

The start and end date fields are confusing.

1

The start and end date fields are confusing.

2

The filling form layout is disorganized and difficult to navigate.

2

The filling form layout is disorganized and difficult to navigate.

3

There is no page to see all upcoming events for a specific vendor.

3

There is no page to see all upcoming events for a specific vendor.

Recommendations

Clarify the start/end date fields to avoid confusion. Ensure that when the start date is changed, the end date is automatically updated to be the same or later than the start date.

Clarify the start/end date fields to avoid confusion. Ensure that when the start date is changed, the end date is automatically updated to be the same or later than the start date.

Simplify the event listing form by dividing the sections into themes and displaying them on separate lines. This will make it easier for users to understand and fill out the form. Also, consider reducing the number of required fields to only the most essential ones.

Provide a separate page for vendors to list their events, so users can easily check upcoming events from the same vendor in one place. This will help users save time and effort in searching for events from the same vendor.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 6: Finding event listing draft on profile page

1

One participant was confused about the "Start Your Journey" button on both the home page and profile page, and suggests splitting the entrance for different groups of people.

2

One participant thought the My Listings section looks out of place and suggests showing listings before events and bookmarks.

2

One participant thought the My Listings section looks out of place and suggests showing listings before events and bookmarks.

User’s profile page options, settings, resources, other, etc.

Recommendations

Clearly differentiate between login entrances for different groups of people. To avoid confusion among users, it would be better to have separate entrance buttons for vendors and caregivers with different login portals.

To reduce confusion among users, remove the "Start your journey" button from the profile page and place it on the home page.

To reduce confusion among users, remove the "Start your journey" button from the profile page and place it on the home page.

Recommended redesign

Pain Point 7: "Submit Now" Button Placement

1

The “submit listing” button appears on multiple pages even after clicking the button and users are confused if the plus sign icon means "new listing" or "new profile".

Example of the repetitiveness of the “submit now” footer asset while have already clicked the “submit now” button on the first screen capture.

Recommendations

Allow for the “Submit a Listing” or “Submit Now” Button to be located on one page rather than re-occurring on multiple pages.

Allow for the “Submit a Listing” or “Submit Now” Button to be located on one page rather than re-occurring on multiple pages.

Remove from the footer to keep from appearing on every page and reposition to be a CTA button on the main screen or exist as its own sub-landing page under Events.

Remove from the footer to keep from appearing on every page and reposition to be a CTA button on the main screen or exist as its own sub-landing page under Events.

Recommended redesign

Conclusion and Next Steps

Conclusion

In conducting this usability test, we hope to improve the Indiana Disability Resource Finder website's usability and user experience and ensure that it meets the needs of its targeted users.

Next Steps

• Given time to continue the project, we would look to either recruiting the same test participants or new ones, and create the same tasks as conducted in this study.

• We would then compile participant task data and compare between the old and new design, with metrics such as time on task, error rate, and self-ratings such as ease of use.

Lessons Learned

• Data is beautiful. Keeping observable data about the feelings that participants experienced helps in ensuring the most important areas of focus in a potential redesign.

• Scheduling and planning is vital. As our team was remote, we set up a calendar for when we were testing our participants and the different tasks that each member was designated to complete. I believe this was vital to our successfulness of this project.